Public Events -- ISM Lockport Gallery

Finding Hallowed Ground: America's Civil War Sites Today

Finding Hallowed Ground: America's Civil War Sites Today

Location: ISM Lockport Gallery, Lockport

Date: Sunday, July 13, 2014, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

A visit to an American Civil War site is a walk in the footsteps of history. Join us on Sunday, July 13, 2014, at 2pm to hear author and historian Michael Weeks’ travel experiences at the Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery. Weeks’ talk, “Finding Hallowed Ground: America’s Civil War Sites Today,” stems from his book series Civil War Road Trip and is the first in our Sunday Series of events for the current exhibition Civil War Quilters: Loyal Hearts of Illinois. The multi-media presentation will begin at 2:00 pm and last approximately one hour. Reservations are not required, though seating is limited. Admission is free. The museum will open at noon on Sunday to view the exhibition.

Michael Weeks’ presentation, “Finding Hallowed Ground: America’s Civil War Sites Today,” is part history lesson, part storytelling, and part motivation. During this interactive lecture, he not only describes his own experiences, but helps the audience understand that traveling across the country and visiting these sites is not only easier than one might think, but is also more rewarding than any history book could ever be. He discusses the wide range of opinions regarding the Civil War, his conversations with locals in small towns across the country, tracing ancestors who may have fought in the war, the importance of historic travel, and how visiting these sites aids both the economy and preservation efforts.

Michael Weeks is a historian with a passion for the road. He has driven tens of thousands of miles across America in search of the living roots of U.S. history. He is a member of the Chicago Writer’s Association and serves on the boards of the Civil War Round Table of Chicago and the Camp Douglas Restoration Foundation. Weeks is the author of three books under the series title Civil War Road Trip. The “complete” guide offers ten multi-day itineraries that highlight 450 sites. Volume I is a detailed discussion of sites active 1861-1963 in Northern Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania (including Gettysburg). Volume II includes tours of major military campaigns from 1863-1865 in Virginia and Maryland.

Civil War Quilters: Loyal Hearts of Illinois presents a fresh perspective on the Civil War by uncovering the fascinating stories of Illinois women who rigorously supported their fathers, husbands, brothers, sons, and friends from the home front. Each quilt on exhibit has its own unique story and individual attributes, even though they were collectively created in the same time period. In addition to the quilts, a wide variety of artifacts demonstrate the expansive range of women's work for the war. The exhibition will be on display at the ISM Lockport Gallery through October 17, 2014. Additional related events include a tour by the exhibition Curator (August 10) and a first-person portrayal of Civil War nurse Clara Barton (September 28).

The Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery is located on the first floor of the historic Norton Building at 201 West 10th Street in Lockport, Illinois, and is fully accessible to all physically challenged individuals. Museum hours are noon to 5:00 pm on Sunday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Museum is closed Saturdays and State Holidays. Admission is free. For information on exhibitions and related programs, becoming a member of the Friends of the Lockport Gallery, directions, or to schedule a group tour of ten or more, please visit the museum online at http://www.museum.state.il.us/ismsites/lockport/, call (815) 838-7400, or email us info-lockport@museum.state.il.us. The Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery is part of the Illinois State Museum system, including sites in Springfield, Rend Lake, Chicago, and Lewistown.